Herniated nucleus pulposus with radiculopathy in an adolescent: successful nonoperative treatment.

The following report describes a 17-year old girl with a central herniated nucleus pulposus (HNP) at L4-5. The diagnosis of lumbar disk herniation was based on findings from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A decision to use conservative treatment was unanimously agreed upon by a team of orthopedists, a neurosurgeon, and an internist. This report follows the patient's course from the onset of pain through the completion of the nonoperative treatment and shows that HNP of a lumbar intervertebral disk with radiculopathy can be treated successfully with aggressive nonoperative care.